


Stuck in Ink

by lord_of_cats



Series: The Boy from the Book [2]
Category: Homestuck, Inkheart (2008)
Genre: F/F, InkHeart AU, M/M, dave is a fictional character, feferi is a cutie, jade is a were-witch, john is a Reader, kanaya is roses kickass wife, rose is the author
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-07-19 05:19:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7346689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lord_of_cats/pseuds/lord_of_cats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave, Kanaya and Rose have gone, leaving John alone with his abusive mother. But, he mustn't lose hope! Someone is looking out for him, and she's closer than you might think.</p><p>Meanwhile on Derse, Rose and Kanaya deal with the hassle of being duet queens of an indifferent populace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Emerald Witch Teleports Into the Story!

**Author's Note:**

> This work is part of a series. You have to read the first part-Inkstuck-to get what is happening in this one.  
> Thanks and enjoy B33

Your name is Rose Lalonde and you are both amazed and worried.

 

Amazed because you are in an entirely different world—one that you created! It’s exactly like you wrote it. Magnificent purple towers seem to touch the dark, polluted sky above. Thousands of people stand below you, dressed in the robes of magic-users and the simple day-to-day garments of everyone else. A few Air-Elementals zoomed around in the sky above, looking down with little-to-no interest.

Worried because you’re missing two members of your family.

 

But you must be calm and collected right now. Even though you feel like screaming very loudly and possibly having a stress-induced break-down.

So you stand up, brush off the dirt on your pants and distract yourself with the scenery.

 

It’s not long before you hear the rustling of your companions sitting up and joining you on the balcony.

You immediately reach for Kanaya’s hand, curling your fingers around her as a way to bring yourself comfort. She squeezes your hand, rubbing the back of your hand comfortingly.

Dave is looking straight ahead at the city skyline, not responding to your gentle nudging.

 

The people below stare up at you, slight confusion in their eyes. That’s to be expected. The black, hard-shelled citizens of Derse can be quite dense sometimes, and having three people materialise in front of them must be so confusing to their tiny brains.

Or they just don’t really care that much.

 

“Citizens of Derse!” You call, spreading your arms wide. The few that weren’t paying attention before have turned their gaze skyward, up to the three of you.

“Do not mind us. We’re just passing through.”

 

You are met with loud boos and protests. Their shouts conveyed a similar message. Shouts of ‘no! where’s our queen? We need another ruler!’, ‘goddammit, we’ve had three different rulers in the past six months—what are we, the Australian government?’ and ‘darn you kids and your teleportation magics’.

 

You shoot Kanaya a confused look.

“What? Um…do you want _us_ to be the monarchy?” You call out to them.

More muttering.

Then, a young man wearing the orange robes of a fire magician, stands up on top of the ornate chopping block in the middle of the square.

“Well there’s no one else to do the job is there?”

“O-oh.” You’re actually taken aback at the crowds spontaneous decision. This is their cities monarchy they’re talking about! But then again, Dersites generally don’t really care who’s leading them.

“You were the ones who got rid of our Queen. And that guy—“ He points towards Dave “—tried to kill our last King. Who successfully murdered our old King. But then he disappeared and then our Queen appeared. Who has just now disappeared and now you’ve appeared—it’s only natural that you become our Queen.”

You can kind of see why Dersites don’t like politics. It’s very confusing.

 

“Well, um…okay?”

Kanaya shrugs her shoulders, looking at you with a very confused expression on her face. Not that you know, but it probably matches your own look of confusion.

 

Luckily, the citizens are satisfied with your impromptu, confused response.

They dispersed, leaving the square behind without even a second glance. The man from earlier hops down from the wooden stage and walks away, vanishing in with the rest of the crowd.

 

You…guess you’re the rulers of Derse now?

 

It’s been a really, _really_ weird day.

 

 

Your name is Jade Harley and you are a Witch.

 

Although according to your ‘master’ you are a servant.

But being taken from your clan, your home and your girlfriend by your supposed master hasn’t made you very serving.

In fact, it’s actually made you more likely to blast their skulls full of the most deadly magic you have.

The only thing that’s stopped you is this stupid collar around your neck that smothers your magic.

 

It’s a small, tight metal thing that stings and burns whenever you move. The small green gem that’s fused into the metal is the real biter—it’s the thing that stops your magic entirely.

Iron is burns magical creatures, and you are magic times two. You have the blood of witches in your veins—as well as certain…wolfy…tendencies.

So that means that this collar is extra painful for you.

 

Your current ‘mistress’ is a cruel woman who materialised out of thin air. She took over from your old ‘master’—who was the one to take you from your witch-clan.

Then, you, your ‘mistress’ and your mistresses…lover? You think? Got transported to another plane of existence.

It immediately came to your realisation that your old ‘master’ is dead. Lying in a puddle of blood, throat slit. It was a truly joyous occasion for you.

 

But then…you heard the boy sitting next to you speak.

 

While your magic has been taken from you, the Deities of Old have not left you.

For weeks before your old ‘master’ materialised out of existence, your deities had been whispering at you. They were telling you about a boy with a strange and unusual power unlike any other. They told you that you would meet him soon, and to be prepared.

You didn’t really know what to expect, but a short chubby teenager who fainted immediately after tripping over nothing was not it.

 

But, you’re trusting the gods on this one.

They have never failed you after all.

 

It was easy to convince your ‘mistress’ to do this—in fact she even told you to do it herself. Although you might have twisted her meaning a little bit.

_‘Deal with the boy.’_

So, you dealt with the boy.

 

Your ‘mistress’ wrenched the book from the boys fingers and stalked out of the room, Aranea at her heels. With the amount of force your ‘mistress’ used, you wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the boys fingers are broken.

When you had a look at them, they seemed bent and out of shape.

 

When you were sure they had left the room after that whole book-stealing-fiasco, you scooped up the boy’s unconscious form and placed him on the velvet couch. With a slight skip in your step, you hurry around, collecting pillows and blankets. You also picked up the strange pink creature that protected the boy earlier and placed it next to him.

Each knocked out, they curl in on each other in their unconscious state.

 

Having made the boy as comfortable as you could, you settled down and watched the two sleep.

 

The boy was terrified of your ‘mistress’, struggling to get away from her clawed hand. He even tried to defend herself from her.

Seeing him sleeping, he looks so vulnerable. A dribble of dried blood was encrusted on his cheek. Reaching out, you slide your thumb down his cheek, gently scraping away the congealed blood on his cheek.

He winces a little in his sleep, so you stop.

 

Soon, he began moving more frequently, little snuffles and snorts in his sleep.

He’s been asleep for about an hour now, so you think he’s waking up.

 

This is confirmed by crystalline blue eyes cracking open wearily. He seem a little out of it, looking around in dazed confusion.

You clasp your hands together on your lap and adjust your grey skirt a little.

 

The Deities of Old have told you to look out for this child, so look out for this child you will.

 

 

Your name is John Egbert and everything hurts.

 

Not just the throbbing pain of your fingers, but your feelings as well.

Before you have time too really dwell on your emotions, your mind is overrun with panic.

 

First off, there’s a girl watching you. Her green eyes look at you with barely disguised curiosity. With a jolt of shock, you realise that this is the same girl from earlier—the wild girl in the servants clothes.

 

Secondly, and most worryingly—Inkstuck is nowhere to be found.

 

You instinctively sit up, spreading blankets and pillows everywhere. Whisker thumps onto the floor.

Normally, you’d care, but right now, when the rest of your family is in serious trouble, you think Whisker can deal with lying in a pile of blankets. If mother has your book, that means Rose, Kanaya and Dave are in danger!

 

A calloused hand pulls you back. You freeze up, but it remains firm.

 

“What are you doing?”

The girl has grabbed your wrist, and as you turn to look at her, she fixes you with a stern stare.

“I need to get that book! Let go of me! She’s gonna hurt them! She’s gonna burn them!” You struggle in her firm grasp, fingers screaming with pain. She holds firm.

“Calm down! She’s not going to burn ‘them’! Who even is ‘them’ anyway?”

You manage to wrench your hand from her grasp, ignoring the agony that followed. “My family! I fucking Read them into that stupid book! It’ll be all my fault if that book gets burnt and something bad happens to them!”

“You…Read them into a book? How?”

“I-I don’t know! It’s a thing I can do apparently!” You shout out, wincing at the pain in your fingers.

 

The girls stern face crumples. For a minute you wonder if you’ve hurt her, but then she shoots you a nervous smile.

“I’m sorry…we got off on the wrong foot. My name’s Jade Harley.”

“’M…my names John. J-John Egbert.” You do your best to smile back at her.

Upon seeing your nervous smile, her own nervous smile grew into a huge buck-toothed grin.

 

“It’s really great to meet you John! I would shake your hand but…I think it’s broken…”

You look down at your poor bruised fingers. “Yeah…I think so too…”

“If my girlfriend was here she’d be able to heal you…but I’m afraid she’s not…” Jade looks down, green eyes downcast.

“Your…girlfriend? If you don’t mind, what’s she like?”

Her eyes go into dream-like state and her grin gets wider. “Hee hee hee…she’s pretty cute. She’s a healer, so that’s why I said she would help!”

“Healer? So she’s magic then? What about you? Do you have magic?”

 

She scowls, tugging at the huge metal collar on her neck and you regret asking. “I do…my speciality is space magic—you know, growing and shrinking things as well as teleportation? I’m a witch.”

“Then why haven’t you teleported out of here?”

Her face darkens and her fingers tighten around the metal collar. “This stupid collar…it dampens my magic…I can’t do anything with it on!”

“Well then, can’t you just take it off?”

Jade gives you an annoyed look. “If I can just take it off, then I would be far, _far_ away.”

“Oh…then I guess we’ll have to find a way to take it off!” You smile up at her.

 

She blinks in surprise before breaking into a huge smile.

 

“I’d like that…”

“Well, I’d better go find that book…I have to protect my family.” You feel your jaw clench in determination.

Jade frowns. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you—she has it and she’ll-“

“No!” You interrupt. “That’s even worse! She’ll use them for black-mail and make me do horrible things!”

“You don’t know that!”

“But I do! I know exactly what she’ll do!” You shout out. But Jade is motioning wildly to something behind you. You turn around, expecting nothing but…

 

“What exactly will I do boy?”

 

Mother stands in the doorway, a menacing figure. She storms over to you, hair floating behind her like shadowy tendrils.

You back away, broken fingers held up in a feeble defence. Unfortunately, you trip over Whiskers unconscious form and go falling backwards into the couch.

Mother loomed over you, fury in her stare.

 

“N-N-Nothing! N-Nothing a-at a-a-a-all!” You stutter out, trembling and backing away from mothers looming figure.

“Really?” Mother reaches down and grabs your shirt lapel, lifting you into the air. You wince, but you don’t struggle. She’s done this many times before—you just grit your teeth and bear it.

Jade however, does not stay silent.

 

“Hey! Put him down you ugly hag!” Jade yells and throws a lamp mothers way. She ducks, the lamp barely missing her. Jade had an unsurprisingly good arm on her (the girl was extremely toned and muscly—especially in the arms).

Mother threw you down onto the couch and focused her attention onto Jade.

“Jade! Please be careful!” You call out, wishing no harm would come to her.

“Quiet you.” Mother waves a dismissive hand in your direction, striking your leg.

Jade growled, low and animalistic. The collar around her neck begins to glow and hiss. It looks painful, but Jade seemingly ignores it. She leaps for your mother, and you can’t help but think about how much of a complete badass she is.

 

Unfortunately, your mother is an adult—with extra size, strength and experience. Jade is just a teenager. Yes, she _is_ a witch, but her powers have been taken from her. You don’t doubt she is a skilled fighter—but against your mother she is nothing.

 

She goes skidding across the room, mothers’ punch having been that hard. You think she’s unconscious. You jump up off the couch, ready to run over to Jades’ side, but mother pulls you back and throws you down onto the couch.

 

You don’t have a sister—you’re an only child.

But…

You can’t help but wonder what it would be like to have one. But the way Jade defended you despite not knowing you for very long…you think that’s a very sisterly action.

 

In front of you, mother cracks her knuckles, scowling at you. A faint bruise has begun to bloom on her cheek, much to your mute satisfaction.

“You’re going to pay for that you little brat.” She snarled.

 

You try not to cry as her fists rain down on your shaking form.

 

This is the worst day of your life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Vampiric Atractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rosemary centric, with vampires and stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND SHE UPDATES!!!  
> Ok guys, I am so sorry I kinda abandoned this unexpectedly. I had other stuff going on, as well as other fanfics to work on. I am picking it back up, so expect better quality shit from now on.
> 
> My tumblr is @lord-of-cats so hit me up if you have any questions!

Your name is Kanaya Maryam and this city is beautiful.

 

Your wife made it, so of course you find it beautiful. But, there are other things in this city that made it beautiful—not just the fact your wife made it.

The buildings seem to be expertly crafted—towering violet sky-scrapers, bustling marketplaces and dark grey skies.

The citizens are pleasant and quite sweet, happily waving as you pass by on your daily walk.

 

You’ve been having a lot of daily walks lately—just to explore the sights to see. It’s not every day you get to explore a fictional landscape!

Rose has been really overworked lately, since she became sovereign leader of an entire city. Yeah, that’s still a thing that happened. You were at the coronation and everything.

You’ve been helping the best you can, but you’re so worried she’s over-working herself into exhaustion. She’s been so grumpy and tired lately, you’re worried about her.

 

You’re not only worried about Rose, but John and Dave as well.

John for obvious reasons—he’s all alone with his abusive mother.

But Dave…Dave’s been acting really weird lately.

He’s been quiet and moody, often staring off into space. He won’t talk to you or Rose. He’s not eating or sleeping or talking. Every time the subject of John comes up, he leaves the room in a sulky huff.

You think he’s heart-broken.

But there’s nothing you can do but be there for him.

That’s what family does.

 

You stroll across the busy Dersian street, several citizens looking at you weirdly. You are their queen after all, and you’re walking amongst them.

Since Rose is their queen, you are the queens wife—which means you are their queen also. You guess that also makes Dave (and John) princes. That very thought makes you nearly burst out into laughter.

_Nearly._

A few people wave at you and you wave back, but it’s not sincere. Sure they’re nice, but it gets a little tiring waving to every single person as you walk by after a while.

You take no notice of the pale figure slipping out from behing a market-stall, deeming it unimportant.

Big mistake.

 

A few streets later, the pale figure is still following you. You’re pretending not to notice—maybe they’re just a fan of the royal family and are too nervous to say hello?

But, they keep following you, making you very nervous.

But, you continue to pretend you haven’t noticed them—maybe they’ll go away in time?

 

They don’t.

 

They follow you down the twisting streets of Derse, never once letting you out of their sight.

You’re pretty sure they mean harm to you by now. You aren’t that dense.

 

You’re trying to lose them, but it’s extremely hard when they’re following your every move.

You slip down an alleyway, hoping to lose them amongst the twisting and narrow alleyways of Derse.

Bad idea.

 

They now know that you know they’re following you. It seems they’ve given up on being ‘subtle’ and decided on making their presence known. They knock over bins, run behind you mysteriously and do everything in a cliché horror movie. They’re just trying to scare you.

You break off into a sprint, but they’re close behind, chasing after you.

 

You’re fast, but they’re even faster. Their speed seems almost…supernatural.

In no time, you’re slammed against the brick wall.

You struggle against them, but you’re no match for their pure brute strength.

 

“What the…let me go!” You shout, but they don’t listen. Instead, they open their mouth, revealing sharp pointed fangs.

 

A vampire!

 

You know Rose wrote vampires and all kinds of mythical creatures into this book, but you never thought you’d actually meet one!

 

“I’m sorry my queen, but my kind must have some kind of representation. We’ve been the minority for all of history. If we have a vampire queen, however brief, then perhaps it would be easier for my kind.” Their voice is low and husky, laced with hunger.

So this vampire was turning you to give hope to a young generation, you can respect that. But you still can’t let them turn you.

 

But before you can stop them, they sink their fangs into your neck, drinking the blood that runs out of your jugular.

 

You black out.

 

 

Your name is Rose Lalonde and you are very worried about your wife right now.

 

She hasn’t returned from her daily walk yet. You’re concerned that something bad happened to her. She normally takes around an hour or so, but she’s taken two hours!

Instead of filing all these documents like you’re supposed to be doing, you’re pacing up and down your study.

In the huge windows in front of you, you can see that the sun is setting. That fiery orb is dipping its head below the distant hills, letting the moon rise.

The luxurious violet carpet is worn and squashed underneath your pacing feet. You’re not in the best mood right now—and the servants know it.

They’ve been avoiding you ever since Kanaya even left, so you don’t expect it when a timid-looking messenger boy approaches you.

 

“Y-your highness…” Their squeaky voice startles you, and you drop the crystal glass of wine you were holding.

“What is it?” You snap.

You feel bad, but you’re pretty upset right now, so you don’t dwell on it for too long.

“I-It’s Queen Kanaya ma’am…they’ve uh…found her.”

“What! Where is she?” You ask, staring at him frantically.

He backs away a little due to your intensity, but continues. “She was found unconscious on the castle steps by one of the guards. She was covered in blood and was immediately taken to the castle healer.”

“Is she okay? Has anything happened?”

“Well I’m just a lowly messenger boy. I was told to come here to summon you to the healers office.” He bows and scurries away.

 

You rush down the stone corridors of your castle, heading towards the not-so-familiar insides of the medical bay.

Inside, it stinks of various remedial herbs and spices. Hanging from the ceiling were various rows of garlic and sprigs of what you were pretty sure was just marijuana.

A small, wizened old man ambles up to you, appearing through the smoky dimly-lit room. He doesn’t bow to you, but ushers you towards a bed towards the far end of the room.

 

On it lies the slender and graceful form of your wife. Her eyes are closed and she looks quite serene in her sleep—except she’s not breathing.

You panic, but the healer grabs your skirts.

 

“Hush child, she is fine.”

“Fine! You call this fine? She’s not breathing! How is this fine?”

“Your wife has gone through some…transformations…”

“Transformations? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“The amount of blood on her when found, the puncture wounds on the neck, slight glow and fangs—you figure it out.”

 

Looking harder, you notice not so subtle new details about your wife. There _is_ a subtle glow about her, casting a hazy light around her resting place. Her lips were parted in such a way that you could see her unusually sharp teeth. On her neck are two sharp puncture wounds.

 

“D-does this mean…?”

“Yes child. Your wife is a vampire.”

 

 

Your name is Kanaya Maryam and aren’t you supposed to be dead?

 

That…person was on you and…sucking your blood? You think?

Everything is all hazy and unclear, like you’ve just woken up from the longest dream. You guess you have, because you think you’re lying in a bed of some kind. You can barely feel anything, you’re just lying there. You don’t really feel like moving, because your whole body is sore and there is a heavy weight laying on your arm.

It seems to be the cause of a rather loud noise, something like snoring.

It seems very familiar, like you’ve heard it every night for around half of your life.

It sounds like…Rose?

 

You move your arm a little bit, and the weight lifts up.

“Wha…? Kanaya? Wha—You um…” Rose Lalonde, in all her bed-headed, smudged-makeup glory, shoots up, rubbing her eyes blearily.

“Rose? What happened?” You ask, still lying down.

“Kanaya?” Rose gasps, lilac eyes widening at the sight of you.

“It is I, Kanaya, back from the dead.” You groan, voice slightly distorted by sharp fangs.

Hold on, sharp fangs? When have you ever had fangs!?

Your hand flies to your mouth, feeling around. Indeed, there are now two sharp points. These were new…also pretty cool!

“The Doctor said you’re a vampire now.” Rose says, looking nervously at you to see your reaction.

 

You’re…a vampire?

This certainly sounds like a terrible, clichéd thing that would happen. Nevertheless, you’re somewhat excited about this development. You’ve always fantasized about/admired vampires, ever since you were young.

Their long, delicate fangs that can easily pierce skin but bring pleasure to a lover at the same time. Those elegantly pale hands—that smooth glowing skin. The ability to see in the dark. The ability to make anyone bend to your desires…(not that you’d do that of course, but a woman can still dare to dream.)

Just like the majority of teenage girls after reading Twilight, you’ve always longed to be a vampire. Now that silly childish wish is finally true thanks to some asshole in an alleyway.

 

“That somewhat makes sense…” You mumble, so quiet that you doubt Rose hears you. But, like always, she does.

You feel a hand touch your stomach, but you don’t even have to look up to know it’s Rose. “Kanaya, I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t be.” You reply sternly, placing your hand over hers. “It’s not your fault. Besides, it’s not that big a deal anyway.”

“But if I hadn’t written vampires into the book! If I hadn’t let you wonder off in the evening by yourself…” Rose umbles, ignoring your words. “Hold on a second.” She turns and squints at you, narrowing her eyes. “You _want_ this.”

“Well…” You shrug the best you can in your condition. “Maybe.”

“You liar! You never grew out of your Twilight phase, did you?” Rose narrows her eyes further.

“Rose, you haven’t grown out of your Emo phase. You’re not exactly one to talk.”

“It’s not an emo phase. If I’ve told you once I’ve told you a million times; it is a fascination with the creatures of the deep and of the grim, the dark and the dubious.” She sniffs, sticking her nose up in the air.

“Sure thing honey.”

“It’s not!” She insists. “It’s a perfectly healthy hobby! It’s not like I dress up in extravagant black clothes and wear black makeup twenty-four seven and complain about minor happenings in my day.”

“You keep telling yourself that honey.” You assure her.

“Oh god.” She flops down on your bed and over your legs. “I am still an emo.”

“And I’m now a vampire, apparently.”

“You are.”

“Hmmm.”

“Do you want a cup of tea?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kanaya Maryam totally had a Twilight phase. This is practically canon.  
> Also, when they're in bed together, Rose will often complain about her day whilst Kanaya reads a book, sips her tea and makes mild humming noises while Rose complains about how her latest book is going.


	3. Crying and Bonding. Bonding while Crying if you will.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly the title.  
> Plus badly written angst tm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go! <3  
> Updates will take longer than before but that's bc I'm taking healthy breaks from writing and I'm drawing/playing video games/watching YouTube to help with stress and stuff.

Your name is John Egbert and this isn’t going to end well. It never does.

 

Mother is seated on the couch opposite you, staring at you with an even tempered gaze. Her partner sits beside her, several books resting on both her lap and piled up around her. From the floor, they’re especially intimidating, so you don’t dare move to the couch. Whisker is crouched on your lap, holding back angry growls. You think she somehow knows that if she does attack, it won’t make things any better. Since your attention is focused on mother, you can’t see Jade behind you. (But you can hear her, aggressively sweeping the stone floor with the fury of one thousand suns.)

Mother picks up a book and begins to idly flick through it, feigning her disinterest. You shiver nervously in anticipation. A cool breeze is coming from the open window, causing you to shiver even more.

“So, boy.” Mother finally speaks, drawing an involuntary shudder from you. “You’re a Reader.”

You glance down, refusing to meet her gaze.

“Answer me boy!” She snaps. You flinch involuntarily.

“Uh…I…yes?”

“Don’t stutter, it’s unbecoming of a boy your age.”

“Yes ma’am.” You struggle to keep the stutter out of your voice.

“Excellent. Now, I want you to read out something.” She picks up the book and throws it at you. It hits you in the face, nearly knocking your glasses off your face.

 

You stare down at it as it flumps into your lap.

This is bad.

If you do Mothers bidding and Read then she’ll become rich and powerful. She’ll make you read out all kinds of things—gold, treasure, warriors, anything she wants as long as it’s in written form. She could have her own personal army if she wanted to. She could have anything she wanted—and you’re her ticket to it all.

If you don’t do her bidding, then she’ll hurt you. You’re the only thing standing in her way to untold riches, power and fame. You know her fury like none other, and it terrifies you beyond belief. She could take over the world! It’s a possibility, but still true.

If you deny her, she’ll make your life hell, but if you Read for her…then the whole world will be hell.

 

“…no.” You whisper, voice quiet and shaky.

“What was that boy? It sounded an awful lot like the word ‘no’. You better not have disagreed with me. You know what’ll happen if you do.” Mother gives you a stern look.

It’s now or never. Either you defy your Mother and take the beating that comes with it or do her bidding. You’re the only one that can stop her. Dave, Rose and Kanaya are gone—it’s up to you to defend yourself from her. Alone.

“That’s what I thought. Now, Read.” Mother has seemed to take your silence as an indicator of your submission.

“I said no!” You shout out, standing up and gripping the book Mother threw at you until your knuckles grew white. “I won’t Read anything for you. I’m not afraid of you anymore! You’re just a sad old woman who spends her time bullying children! I refuse to let you spread your hatred across the world by force! You can’t intimidate me into doing your will any longer!”

Mother just sighs and stares down at the folded hands in her lap. “Listen here boy.”

The tone of her voice makes you freeze mid-speech. There’s something spookily unsettling about the way she’s staring at you. As if you’re nothing more than an insignificant worm. Although to her, you _are_ nothing more than an insignificant worm.

“Many things have happened since I left it seems…like this confidence. It isn’t natural on you. I don’t know exactly what happened while I was away, but it clearly wasn’t good.” She muses, turning over her hand and staring absent-mindedly at her fingernails.

“How dare you! Rose, Kanaya and Dave have been nothing but kind to me! You however, are a selfish, deplorable old woman who has never done anything good for me her whole life!”

Mother seemingly ignores the last part but her eyes seem to gleam with malicious intent once you mention Rose, Kanaya and Dave.

“Rose…as in the woman who wrote the book? And Dave, as in the protagonist?” She fixes her gaze on you, and you feel like she’s staring into your very soul.

“Y-Yes. And they showed me that you’re a bad person and I shouldn’t be afraid of you any longer! They’re my real family—they’ve treated me better than you have ever had!”

“Ah. I assume they’re inside that dratted Inkstuck?” She spits out that last word like it’s poison in her mouth.

“Well, yes but—“ She cuts you off.

“And how, pray tell did they get inside of Inkstuck? Reading is an incredibly rare trait, and you are possibly the only Reader in this country.”

“I-I…I read them back in…”

“And why was that?”

“B-because Dave asked me to…”

“Exactly. You may think that they’re your ‘family’ and they care for you, but why else would they have left you? You’re weak and stupid—a whiny pushover who’ll do anything someone says because he’s too pathetic to argue. If your ‘true family’ really did love you, where are they now? Where are they when you’re being threatened by the angry, evil witch you hates you so?” She stands up, a looming figure even as you’re standing up. Her hair seems to billow out around her as she scowls down at you with a great fury. She look like a queen against the scenery of the castle—but not the nice kind. The tyrannical kind.

“No, no! They love me! They said so!”

“News flash kid—people lie. Now. Read for me.”

“N-Never. Even if they really don’t care for me, I still care for them. I refuse to Read anything for you! You’re a bad person and I won’t allow you to have any more power over me—or anyone else!”

“Oh really?” In one quick stride, she’s picked you up by your shirt lapel and lifted you high into the air. Your legs pedal around in the air, but you can’t stop them. Your mind overloads with panic as your hands grasp at mothers whitened knuckles. “Like I have no power over you right now?”

“L-Let me go…!” You stare at her through wild wide eyes.

“Oh no Mr I’m-Not-Scared-Of-You-Anymore. That’s not going to happen. If you’re not scared of me anymore, then I’ll _make_ you scared of me again.”

 

With no effort whatsoever, she hauls you behind her as she begins to walk out of the room. You struggle—even though it’s futile—as she carries you through the twisting, turning corridors of the castle.

You catch a glance of yourself in passing in a hallway mirror. Your eyes are wide and near-bulging out of their sockets. Your hair is matted with the sweat dripping off your forehead. Despite your naturally dark complexion, your skin seems to have all the colouring drained out of it. Your clothes are ratty and torn, which is quite a shame, seeing as Kanaya made them for you.

Mother has a blank expression on her face…just like Dave when he asked you to read him back. Nope, nope! Not going to think about that right now.

Behind the two of you trots the mysterious blonde woman, who is holding the unconscious Whisker as if she has the plague.

“Listen here boy!” Mother stops, whipping you around so that she’s right in your face. “You want scared? I’ll give you scared!”

Then she lets go of you, pushing you backwards. You hardly react as you go flying across the room, only hitting the wall forcing sound from between your lips. Whisker is thrown in as well, letting out a started yowl as he smashes into your stomach.

“Have fun in there little boy!” The blonde woman coos as the door slams shut on your face.

 

It is only then that you come to your senses. You’re trapped in here. Cold, dark and alone for lord knows how long. You can only hope that if there is a god up there, that he make it quick.

 

 

Your name is Jade Harley and you hate that woman.

 

No, no. Hate is too weak a word. You detest, _despise, **abhor** _ that woman.

Who does she think she is? She’s a bully. A powerful, physically strong, selfish bully who will not hesitate to harm children to get her way. She makes you sick. If your powers weren’t subdued by this stupid collar, she’d be dead and both you and John would be out of here.

First that ugly hag locked John up in a dark dungeon and scared the wits out of the poor child. Now, she expects you to clean up the whole castle while her and her lady friend get drunk off their ass.

Luckily for you, they’re way too drunk off their asses to notice where exactly you clean up. So this means you get to clean up around John’s dungeon.

 

Loud sniffling echoes out from the dark wooden door, and with each sniffle comes a heavy pain in your heart.

You press your ear against the wooden door, being mindful of splinters. “John…?” You whisper and the sniffling stops, just for a moment before starting up again. “Are you ok?”

Man that sounded stupid. Of course he’s not alright. He’s been locked in a dark, damp cellar for a few days with nothing to eat.

There is no reply, but you weren’t really expecting one anyway.

You turn away from the door, broom handle in hands. It’s a little frustrating that he doesn’t want to talk, but perfectly understandable. You are working for the person that put him in there—even if you don’t want to.

“Well, just so you know, your Mother and that other woman are getting drunk off their asses right now.” Just because he may not want to speak to you right now, doesn’t mean you’re not going to try.

“She’s not my mother.” Comes the scratched, croaky reply.

“Ah. My mistake. I assumed she was by the—“

“No! No, she is! I just…don’t see her like that. She’s cruel and horrible and I hate her so much! She made me terrified of everything and made me hate myself. They say ‘sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt me’, but that’s not true. Her words hurt so, so much. I know whatever she says isn’t true and is just her trying to rile me up and make me upset but…some stupid part of me can’t help but believe her.”

“Oh John…it’s not true what she said. About them hating you.”

“How do you know? You’ve never even met them!”

“So? I’m sure they love you very much. You’re funny, kind and a pleasure to be around from what I’ve seen—why would they hate you?”

“I…I miss them…” He murmurs, voice so quiet you can barely hear it.

“Well then, do you want to talk about it? I always find that whenever I miss Feferi, thinking about her helps.” You set the broom down and lean against the cell door. Looks like you’re not going to get anymore work done today.

“What is there to say? I mean, I only knew them for a few weeks but it felt like forever. They’re so kind and lovely to me! For once in my life…they made me feel special…” He breaks off into sobs, and you can picture him in your mind—curled up in a little ball and tiny form shaking with sadness.

“Hey, don’t cry. Like Feferi always says, the sun will always come out tomorrow. You’ll see them again.”

“What was she like?” John whispers back, and you pause.

“Well, she’s beautiful for starters. Whenever she smiled, the whole world seemed to stop and stare for more than a while. Her eyes shine like stars in the unpolluted sky—especially whenever she’s excited about something. Her hair—is well, a tangled mess most of the time, but it’s so fun to braid and play with! Oh John, I miss her so, so much. She is such a ball of incomprehensible loveliness and kindness and a ray of the brightest sunshine. She always knew what to say and I just…I don’t know what to do without her.” Much to your embarrassment, you break into sobs, great, fat, salty tears rolling down your cheeks.

“She seems lovely.” Comes the awkward reply.

“She is…” You mumble, sliding down the door so you’re sitting on the floor—long black skirts covering your crossed legs. A few teardrops plop down onto your skirts—leaving the already dark material even darker.

 

“I-I didn’t know Rose and Kanaya very well, but they made me feel…special. But I guess kindness after years of neglect and abuse would make anyone feel special. But they were much, much better mothers than _she_ ever was.”

“What about Dave? You’ve mentioned him before.”

“Oh…Dave…” He cuts off with a dry chuckle. “He…Well, I grew up reading his story…and I kind of fell in love with him. At first, I just thought it was a friend crush, you know? But it grew into something much, much more. I didn’t know how to handle it—falling in love with someone who isn’t real. But, I dealt with it. I pretended he was my best friend, and that he’d protect me from bullies and stupid kid stuff like that. I would sleep with the book wrapped in my arms and imagine I was sleeping right beside him. It sounds creepy and sad, I know. Then one fateful day, mother called me downstairs. She made me read out of the book to her…and to my amazement, Dave appeared! So did Jack, but I wasn’t too excited about that. I was so surprised, I kind of fainted. When I came to, he was still there, and I knew it wasn’t a dream. Shenanigans occurred and soon we were at Rose and Kanaya’s, making battle preparations against a stab-happy psychopath. One day, while Rose and Kanaya were out looking for Jack, Dave and I built a pillow fort together. Things happened and I messed up—big time. So bad that…I think I made him want to leave. Once he killed Jack, and avenged his brothers death, he asked me to read him back in. I fucked up even further and accidently sent Rose and Kanaya back in as well. I—I—“ He cuts off, sobbing heavily. “I’d better go to sleep. Goodnight Jade.”

“But, it’s only four o’clock!”

“ _Good afternoon Jade._ ” Comes the snappy and shaky reply.

Figuring he doesn’t want to be bugged anymore, you pick yourself up off the floor.

 

You worry for that boy. To have been given a fleeting promise of something _more_ but to have it ripped it away by his own hand must be truly heart-wrenching.

You made a promise to protect and help that boy, and you plan to keep it.

There is a little…spell…you can try that won’t use up your magic or alert the collar around your neck. It’s a little thing all witches have that they use as a defence/back-up mechanism—a kind of witch-radar if you will. You’ll have to reach into yourself and search for any powers similar to your own. You’re not sure if this world even has witches or anything of the like, but it’s worth a try.

You kick the broom out of the way and sit down on the stone floor, crossing your legs in the process. You take a deep breath, placing your palms flat against each other and closing your eyes.

Let’s hope this works.


	4. The Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People were sad that I made John sad so have more of that ft. Dave being sad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I might be starting a new fic? (Again lol)   
> It'll be an Earthbound crossover called Homebound with me basically trying to get the kids as in-character as I can. Chapters will be much, much longer in that.  
> I'll try my best to keep updating this as often as I can, but yah soz bro.  
> Thoughts on me writing that AU?

Your name is John Egbert and after that whole dungeon debacle, you are quite terrified of the dark. And small spaces. And your mother.

But you must continue to be strong.

 

The dimness of the castle is everything you’re terrified of. But you must do this at the dead of night, or else you’ll be caught and possibly be put back in that room.

You’re so lucky mother released you yesterday, or else you’d still be huddled up in that room with only Whisker and the sound of your own thoughts for company.

You’ve grown a little skinnier since that week or so in the room. You read somewhere that after using up all the nourishment in food, the human body will start eating itself to survive. Which is a pretty scary thought.

But not as scary as the thought of what mother will do to you if she catches you.

 

Catches you doing what exactly?

Well, you have a plan. A stupid, foolish plan that you’re not sure will even work. A carefully folded note rests in your enclosed palm, which is tucked against your chest. With this note rests all of your hopes and wishes and innermost feelings.

You’re going to try to read the note into Inkstuck. You feel a lot of things were left unsaid with Dave’s departure, and you want to get it off your chest even if he can’t reply. Plus, you’d like to include a little message to Rose and Kanaya as well.

If you can find Inkstuck and read the note in that is.

 

You think mother hid it somewhere in the vast library in the castle, so it’s going to take a whole lot of searching.

You don’t know how long you’ve been searching for it, but you think it’s been a while. You must hurry—you’re doing this in the night time, which lowers your chance of being caught. You must be quiet—although Mother is a heavy sleeper, you’re not too sure about the blonde woman.

The flickering lantern light flashes off a glittering cover, catching your eye.

Ah-ha! It seems all this searching has paid off—the familiar cover of Inkstuck rests just at your eye level. Despite the nagging feeling in your gut that something is wrong, you hurry over to the book, nearly tripping over your own feet in the process.

It takes a little bit of effort—standing on your tippy-toes and stretching your arms as far as they could go—to get the book off the high shelf, but you manage to get it down without much noise.

The book seems relatively unscathed, despite being covered in a thick layer of dust. A few gemstones on the front cover are missing, but they’ve always been like that.

Eagerly, you open the book, staring hungrily at the open pages. It’s been so long since you’ve read the contents. You miss curling up under your bed covers, clutching a torch between your teeth and reading about Dave and his adventure across Derse.

You sigh, before setting down the book and the lantern down on the carpeted floor. You plop down after them, carefully unfolding the note as you do. You plan to read the ending again (even though it pains you) and hope with all your heart that the note reaches them (him).

As quietly as you can, you skip to your desired page. You take a deep breath, readying yourself. Then, you begin to read.

 

_“The crowd was like a singular mob, thinking as one, acting as one. When they saw me enter the courtyard, bloodied and bruised, being held up by guards, they surged forward. They all wanted to see me dead. So I will give this crowd what they wanted._

(Please let this note be delivered to a very alive and well Dave. Please let him read it. Please let him see what he means to me.)

_The guards didn’t try to hold back the crowd, so as I was roughly dragged to the execution block I felt things hit my face. Mainly rotten vegetables, which hit my face and slid down it, leaving stinking trails of filth. Some children even ran up to me and kicked me in the nuts, which I did not appreciate. The guards yanked me back when I started after them._

(Please let Dave be alright. Please let Rose be alright. Please let Kanaya be alright.)

_High above me, I could feel Jack’s cruel eye on my back. He would come to watch my downfall, like he did to my brother before me. I know I have lost, but I will lose with dignity. I will not him see me cry._

(Please let this note to be delivered to someone, anyone who’ll see it and give it to Dave. You _need_ him to see this.)

_So instead, I shot him a smirk as I strode to my final resting place. My head would be chopped off and placed on a spike outside the Castle to warn against traitors. I really hoped they enjoy the view._

(Please, please, please, please!)

_Once we reach the podium, I turn to the guards._

_“Hey, you might think you’ve caught me, but don’t get aHEAD of yourselves. I still have a few tricks down my shirt.”_

_They push me in response to my excellent joke. I nearly trip, but manage to right myself just in time._

_“Wow. Tough crowd huh?”_

(Please let this work! It has to work, It has to—)

“John? What are you doing?” A loud voice interrupts you from your reading.

“Eeek!!! Jade!!! What are you doing here?” You have to struggle to keep quiet as you confront Jade’s ghostly figure.

“I heard voices and went to check it out. I came and found you reading out of that gaudy book! What are you doing?” She flumps down beside you, reaching out for Inkstuck.

“N-Nothing!” You squeak, one hand clamped over your mouth in an attempt to keep quiet.

“Doesn’t look like it. What’s this?” She questions. Before you can stop her, she’s got your note (the reading was interrupted, so it makes sense that it’s still in this world) in her dirty, grubby paws.

“Nothing! Give it back!” You reach out to grab it off her, but she holds it high above your reach.

“What is it?” She repeats.

“The note I plan to read into Inkstuck, so Dave, Rose and Kanaya can read it. It contains…emotional stuff so please don’t read it!”

“It doesn’t look like a heartfelt note. It looks like a really shitty drawing to me.” Jade squints up at the note, lantern-light reflected in her eyes.

“What!?” You squint up at it as well, to get a better look.

Indeed, it is a ‘really shitty drawing’. You can vaguely make out what looks like two characters in a ‘tender bro embrace’, although the sloppy handwriting at the top gives it away. Sloppy handwriting that you recognise to be Dave’s.

That means the reading worked!

You guess you were so caught up in hoping that it would work that it actually did!

 

“It worked!” You gasp, and Jade lets you tug it out of her hands. You clutch it to your chest—much like you had with the other note you planned to read in.

“Okay, so we got that note in. Now, I have a confession to make.” Jade hums, looking amusedly at you.

“ _I_ got the note in you mean.”

“Yeah, that. Well, I have a plan.”

“Don’t we all?” You sigh dreamily, causing her to frown.

“Not like that! An escape plan!”

“Oh.”

“Listen up John, here’s how it’s going to go down.”

 

 

Your name is Dave Strider, and this is going to be a sick-ass comic.

It’s an ironic masterpiece meant to display your innermost thoughts and feelings. Not that anyone knows that of course.

 

Despite the complete-fucking-shittiness of the piece, you quite like it. You think it has…character. Sure, that’s it. Character.

Instead of trying your hardest, you’re going for a quick-rush job—it’s much easier to do anyway. Spending several days on an artwork is for talented nerds. Of which you are neither.

Although, despite your insistence, you’ve spent a few hours on this piece already. You’ve dubbed it ‘the shittiness of ecstasy’.

It depicts two characters (of your own making, they have _no_ relation to any real person at all) in the tenderest of bro embraces. It signifies your deep longing for a person you left behind. Probably. It’s not like you’ve left behind anyone recently, not at all.

You glance back down at your masterpiece. It’s beautiful—the blue and red colour-scheme blends quite well together, almost like it was meant to be together, which is preposterous. Wait a minute! This…isn’t your drawing.

Your drawing was red and blue and very unmistakeable. This ‘drawing’ is a neatly folded note.

 

Confused, you reach out a steady hand to the note, picking it up with surprising ease.

Upon closer inspection, you notice how clean and white it is—nothing at all like the dirty sheets of paper you find here in Derse. It’s folded incredibly neatly—almost symmetrical with the fold lines. On top of the paper, in slightly messy blue pen are the words _‘To Dave :B (and Kanaya and Rose too!!!)’_

You stiffen up, staring wide-eyed at the paper. There can only be one person who sent you this, although it’s impossible.

Now nervous and tense, you open up the note, reading those carefully written words…

 

_‘Dear Dave (and Rose and Kanaya too!!!)_

_How are you? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other last, hasn’t it? Since I accidently read you all back in?_

_I’ve missed you all so, so much. I hope everything is okay where you are. It must be so nice to be back home, amongst your people. I hope I did teleport you into the right place, and you’re happily living somewhere on Derse!_

_I, unfortunately, did not get so lucky. You remember me talking about mother, right? Well…the rules of equivalent exchange applied, and when you went back to Derse…she came back here._

_It’s fine though! Because I also transported Jade here too! She’s a witch, and super nice! She was Jack’s servant—he captured her and took her from her girlfriend and her family. Her girlfriends name is Feferi Peixes by the way, so could you keep an eye out for her? I’m sure Jade would really appreciate it!_

_Anyway, time to talk about what I really wrote this note to tell you about._

_The way things are going, it seems we will never see each other again. I know that we might, maybe someday, but that day seems far, far into the future. I’m not too sure if you can even age Dave, seeing as you’re a fictional character and all. I mean, in fiction, they never really show ages or time or anything unless the author wishes it! And I read you into the back of the book, so I’m not really sure about that kind of stuff._

_While I’m here, in the world where your story is only that—a story—time won’t pass for you. Sure days and nights will come and go, but you will not age. I’ll grow old, and you’ll stay young and beautiful._

_I don’t think it’s possible for me to meet you in Inkstuck. I’m trying to keep a positive outlook on life, but I think we both know that we’ll never be able to see each other again._

_So, I will try my best to protect the book from outside harm. Since Rose burnt all the remaining copies, I think this is the last one left. This means I’ll have to protect it even harder. There may be a few fan-made copies lying around on the internet, but they won’t be the same as the original._

_Before I go, I want to say you all mean everything to me._

_Rose, Kanaya, you both we like the mothers/older sisters I never had. You took me into your house, your hearts, even though you both hardly knew me. You protected me for the dark, and now I will return the favour._

_Dave, I…I’m sorry I made you want to leave. That kiss…it made you uncomfortable and upset, it shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry. Sorry that I fucked up our friendship and everything inbetween. I know you’ll probably never forgive me but…I love you._

_I love you all with everything I have._

_—John._

You barely notice the tears running down your cheeks as they plop down onto the paper, mingling with the blue ink. Your hands are shaking and your breath is coming out in ragged gasps.

The neatly folded note has crumped up in your hands, little tear stains soaking the paper.

You’ve been trying to block out all thoughts of John ever since you were read back in. It helped with the guilt, just a little bit. But now, with the arrival of this note, it all comes rushing back.

You remember the fact that you made him feel unloved, unwanted. Just like his mother. ~~And really, you’re no better than her.~~

You remember the fear in his bright blue eyes as you rejected him. The way his eyes shone with tears—the way he sobbed and sobbed for hours on end. The way it was all your fault.

You remember secluding yourself from John, Rose and Kanaya, even though it hurt to do so.

You remember asking for him to read you back in. You were covered in blood, and he was terrified (of you, oh how you wish it wasn’t you he was so scared of), but he did it anyway.

You remember waking up on Derse, and the pure panic that accompanied finding Rose and Kanaya alongside you.

You remember holing yourself up in your room and trying to think of anything expect the boy you left behind.

All these bad memories you tried to supress come rushing back like a tsunami—and you’re drowning in it all.

 

The news that he’s keeping your book safe—even at the cost of his own life—is both admirable and horrifying. Even after the way you treated him, he’s still trying to protect you. You don’t doubt that he’s curled around his copy of Inkstuck right now—much like when you were out of the book—while he snores softly under numerous bedsheets.

This Jade…better protect him.

You have heard tales of Jack’s captured witch-servant, although you have never met her. You know she’s from a witch-clan far too the north, where cold and bitter winds have shaped the forests and skies into frozen wastelands. Only the most hardened of mythical creatures can survive there.

And of what you have heard, Jade Harley certainly is and hardened mythical creature.

She has single-handedly vanished entire cities, shrunk Jack’s opponents and enlarged entire armies. If the rumours are true, she is a space witch—and an incredibly powerful one at that.

But you must trust her. If she is on your side, like John said, then he is well and truly in safe hands. You have no doubt that he will be protected.

 

Protected from what? Well, his mother of course.

John, understandably, doesn’t like to talk about her. You’ve never met the woman, but you can feel her foul presence polluting this castle even after she’s been gone for so long. You’ve seen the way John trembles whenever she’s mentioned. If you do meet her, you’ll be sure to introduce her to Caledfwlchs’ blade.

You can only hope that John will be strong and persevere.

 

You love that boy so much, and you were too emotionally constipated to do anything about it. You let go of the best thing to ever happen to you because of your own stupidity.

The two of you belong in different worlds—yes, that is true. But maybe there was a possibility of something more? You love him, he loves you. Surely you could have worked something out?

You should have stayed behind. Living here on Derse with Rose and Kanaya is fine and dandy, but with John…it’d be heaven. Living at Rose and Kanayas’ house would also have been pretty cool, but never mind all that.

 

You get up from your chair, pushing it back so it makes an almighty scraping noise against the floor. Pocketing the note, you stride over to your bedroom door. Taking a deep breath, you push it open.

You have something important to show Rose and Kanaya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah and the whole malnourished-body-eating-itself-to-stay-alive thing is true so eat food kiddos.


End file.
